Hair clipper



HAIR CLIPPER Filed March l1, 1949 @www Patented Feb. 20, 1951 HAIR.CLIPPER Fred T. Hotz, Stephen Sadlon, and Ellis M. Brown,

Racine, Wis., assignors to John Oster Manufacturing Company, Racine,Wis., a, corporation ci' Wisconsin Application March 11, 1949, SerialNo. 80,788

1 Claim.

This invention relates to hair clippers and refers more particularly toclippers of the electric motor driven type.

One such type of clipper which has obtained Wide popularity is shown anddescribed in Patent No. 2,182,597 issued to John Oster, December 5,1939.

The clipper of this invention is similar to that of the aforementionedpatent in that it likewise has an elongated body provided with a hollowhandle portion serving to house the electric motor of the clipper; whilethe cutting blade assembly is mounted on the outer extremity of aforward extension on the handle. The movable blade of the cutting headassembly is likewise driven by the electric motor through transmissionmeans located in a well or cavity in the handle eXtension opening to thetop of the clipper and normally covered by a plate which extendsforwardly to a point closely adjacent to the cutting edge of the cuttingblade assembly.

Heretofore, it was possible for hair clippings to enter into the working`mechanism and the blades of the cutting assembly, and such clippingsfrequently interfered with the proper operation of the clipper.

Another annoying objection is that hair piles up on cutting edges of theblades and conceals the same from the view of the barber or otheroperator of the clipper.

With these objections in mind, this invention has as its main object theprovision of means for positively precluding hair clippings fromentering the working mechanism of the clipper and for prccludingaccumulation of the clippings on the cutting edges of the clipperblades, thereby assuring proper operation of the blades.

More specifically this invention has as its object the provision of ahair clipper of the character described wherein an impeller inside thehollow handle driven by the electric motor of the clipper is utilizedto` blow hair clippings from the cutting edge of the cutting bladeassembly during use of the clipper.

With this objective in mind, it is another object of this invention toprovide a clipper of the character described with cover means forclosing the transmission well in the handle eX- tension of the clipper,and which cover means has an air passageway formed therein for leadingair set into motion by the impeller of the clipper from the motorhousing forwardly along the top of the handle extension directly to thecutting edge of the cutting blade assembly so as to enable hairclippings accumulating on the Vcutting ed'reuto be blown from theclipper during use thereof, K

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide novelclosure means for the mouth of the well in the handle extension of anelectric clipper of the character described, Which closure meanscomprises cooperating superimposed cover plates forming a channel o-rpassage therebetween for leading air set into motion by the impeller ofthe clipper forwardly along the handle extension and onto the cuttingedge of the cutting blades to keep the same free of hair clippings.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it beingVunderstood that such changes in the precise em-` bodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as com@l within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the front end portion of an electric clipper,having portions shown in elevation and portions in section to betterillustrate the application of this invention thereto;

Figure 2 is a plan View of that portion of the clipper shown in Figure1, likewise having parts' broken away and shown in section; and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View through Figure 2 taken along theplane of the line :i1- 3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing in whichlike numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 4 generally designatesthe clipper of this invention. The clipper has an elongated body 5 onlythe front end portion of which is shown, and the body comprises atubularl handle portion which serves asa housing foran electricmotor-'!, and a forward extension 8A` on the front end fof the bodyhaving va well 9" and in which opening to the top I0 of the bodytransmission means I I is mounted.

vThe cutting head l2 of the clipper may be attached to the outerextremity of the handle extension in any desired manner, butin thepresent case, there is a readily detachable connection,-

generally indicated at I3, between the head and the extension. Thisconnection is merely illustrative, and is shown and described in greaterdetail in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,132,597. It is sucient to notethat the cutting head comprises-a stationary cutting blade M and a-movable cutting blade I5, and that the cooperating blades are mountedon the outer extremity of the handle extension with their cutting edgesI6 disposed adjacent to the top of the clipper body and slightly abovethe mouth of the well 9 in the handle extension. It should be observedalso that the movable cutting blade I is held against the back side ofthe stationary blade i4 under a degree of spring tension by means of aspring element l 'i having its inner end xed to the stationary blade asat I8 and having a V-shaped outer extremity E9 received in asubstantially V-shaped notch I9 in the back side of the movable cuttingblade. The notch i9 extends entirely across the back of the movableblade a slight distance inwardly of its cutting teeth. Also, the backside of the movable cutting blade is spaced from but faces the outerextremity of the handle extension 8.

Inasmuch as the forwardly indented Vor V-shaped outer extremity of thespring elementV l1 extends uninterruptedly and substantially entirelyacross the width of the movable cutting blade, as shown in greaterdetail in the aforementioned patent of John Oster, it will be clear thatthe movable blade is constrained to reciprocatory motion crosswise ofthe outer extremity of the handle extension 8.l

Reciprocation is imparted to the movable blade l5 by means of anoscillatory lever 2E) pivotally carried by the handle extension andhaving an arm 2| projecting forwardly from the outer extremity of theextension into a notch, not shown, in the movable cutting blade to drivethe same in a conventional manner. A rearwardly projecting arm 22 of thelever connects with the transmission means Il inside the well 9 in thehandle extension, and the transmission means is. in turn. connected withthe shaft 23 of the electric motor 1.

The motor housing and the transmissionrwell are separated from oneanother by a transverse partition member 25 adjacent to the junctionbetween the handle portion 'of the clipper body and the forwardextension 8. This partition member provides one of the bearings for theshaftV 23 of the electric motor, and has a hole 2B therethrough adjacentto the mouth of the well 9 in the handle extension and through which airset into motion by an impeller 21 driven by the electric motor 'l isadapted to be discharged from the hollow handle portion and directedforwardly toward the cutting edge of the cuttingV head.

In the past, the impeller 2 has had only the single function of coolingthe electric motor 1, by drawing air into the interior of the hollowhandle through ports at the end of the handle remote from the forwardVextension 8 thereon, and discharging such air through side vents 29 inthe clipper body adjacent to the inner end of the handle extension.According to the present invention, however, part of the air set intomotion by the impeller is discharged through the hole 2B in thepartition member 25 to flow forwardly toward the cutting edge of thecutting head.

The air discharging through the hole 26 is led forwardly along the topof the handle extension 8 through a passageway 3U, the inner end ofwhich connects with the hole 2E, and the forward or outer end of whichopens directly to the rear surface of the movable cutting blade adjacentto the cutting edge i6 thereof. Hence, a continuous stream of air isdischarged onto the toothed edge of the movable cutting blade to blowhair 4 clippings therefrom during operation of the Clipper.

The passageway 30 is preferably formed as part of a novel closure 3l forthe mouth of the well 9 in the handle extension, and as seen best inFigures 1 and 3, the closure 3l comprises a relatively flat bottom plate32 and a top plate 33. The rear or inner ends of the plates abut theouter face of the partition member 25, and the outer plate 33 has anoutwardly pressed central portion 3e extending longitudinally of theclosure from the front to the rear extremities thereof. A plurality ofscrews 35 passing through opposite sides of the closure and threadinginto the opposite sides of the handle extension securely hold theclosure in place on the top of the handle extension.

Attention is directed -to the fact that at the front end of the closure3l, both the upper and lower cover plates extend forwardly beyond theouter extremity of the handle extension and' over the space between saidforward extremity of the extension and the adjacent portion of thecutting head assembly., This disposes the outer extremities of the upperand lower plates directly adjacent tothe back of the movable cuttingblade,`

as stated, and it will be seen from a consideration of Figure 2 that theforward extremities of both plates extend for substantially the fullwidth of the movable cutter and the V-shaped extremity of the springelement I? by which the cutter is constrained to reciprocatory movement.

As best shown in Figure l the free outerextremity of the lower plate 3|is curled downwardly and rearwardly as at 35 and is engaged.V

under a degree of spring tension with the V- shaped extremity of thespring element il so as to provide a seal extending entirely across thefront of the clipper by which hair clippings are prevented from enteringthe space behind the cutting head during operation of the clipper.Hence, since the forward extremity of the upper plate 33 is spacedslightly from the adjacent portion of the cutting head, the airdischarging onto the back of the cutting head at the cutting edgethereof will flow upwardly andV outwardly over the cutting edge of thehead and largely prevent;

hair clippings from accumulating on the clipper head.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the hole 26 in the partitionmember 25 of the body is in the nature of a slot having its longdimension crosswise of the axis of the body, and that Y the passageway3!! formed between the inner and outer covers of the closure 3l has awidth which substantially corresponds to the width of the hole 26 at theinner end of the passageway, while,

the outer end of the passageway diverges as at 38 toward the cuttingedge of the clipper head, until it achieves substantially the fullwidthV of/ the movable cutting blade at the outer end ofV thepassageway.

From the foregoing description taken in con--VV nection with theaccompanying drawing, it willv be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art that this invention provides an electric hair clipper whereinhair clippings are prevented from accumulating at the cutting edge ofthe cutting blade assembly; and wherein kentry of clippings into thespace behind the cutting head, wherev they might interfere with properoperation oiV the blades is positively precluded.

What we claim as our invention is: f In an electric clipper of thecharacter described: an elongated body having a handle portion servingto house the electric motor of the clipper, and a forward extension onone end of the handle portion having a well opening to the top side ofthe body to house the transmission means of the clipper; an impeller'inthe handle portion driven by the motor to "eiect cooling thereof; saidbody having an air discharge port therein near the inner end of thehandle extension and adjacent to the mouth of said well to enable air inthe handle portion of the body to be blown forwardly therefrom; acutting head including cooperating stationary and movable cutting bladesmounted on the outer extremity of said forward extension with theircutting edges at the top of the body and extending crosswise of thehandle extension in spaced relationship to the outer extremity thereof;a spring element overlying the back of the movable blade and pressingthe same against the stationary blade, said spring having a tongue andgroove connection with the movable cutting blade near the cutting edgethereof by which the movable blade is constrained to reciprocatorymotion crosswise of the outer extremity of the handle extension; andclosure means xed to the handle extension in a position covering the topthereof so as to close the mouth of the well in the extension, saidclosure means including upper and lower cover plates projectingforwardly beyond the outer extremity of the handle extension and acrosssaid space toward the cutting edge of the cutting head,

the outer extremity of the lower plate having a downwardly andrearwardly curled lip engaging said spring element under a degree ofspring tension substantially at the connection of the spring elementwith the movable cutting blade to provide an effective seal precludingthe entrance of hair clippings into said space between. the cutting headand the outer extremity of the handle extension and the upper platehaving an up wardly channeled central portion cooperating with the lowerplate to define an air passageway leading from said air discharge portto the cutting edge of the cutting head so that hair clippings are blowntherefrom during use of the clipper.

FRED T. HO'TZ.

STEPHEN SADLON.

ELLIS M. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are f record in the le of thispatent:`

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,483,310 Molstrum Feb. 12, 19241,515,555 Derby Nov. l1, 1924 2,297,735 Allen Oct, 6, 1942 2,318,255Nichols May 4, 1943 2,323,046 Jenkins June 29, 1943

